

I have recently come across text which adds さん to places. For example,
bookstore is ほんやさん. Is this normal, and in what context?


CC BY-SA 4.0
2016-12-30T17:22:07.397
42137
2021-11-07T22:17:30.690
2021-11-07T22:17:30.690
30454
19146
question
titles
Adding さん to places


ほんやさん usually means "bookstore owner/worker", but CAN mean the store itself.
Adding さん like that to a business name is a common way to refer to such. ほんや =
bookstore, さん referring to the person.

On the other hand, mountains are often referred to, ending in さん, and still
refer to the place, eg ふじさん = Mt. Fuji. However, this is NOT the same さん. In
ほんやさん, the さん is the person-name-honorific さん; in ふじさん, it is 山 with a reading
of さん. These usages are not related.

Edit: Sorry, apparently, with さん it can STILL mean the place. AFAIK it does
more often refer to the person, but you'll have to divine it from context to
be sure.


CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-12-30T19:42:25.473
42140
2017-01-03T22:28:15.957
2017-01-03T22:28:15.957
11071
11071
42137
answer